15th century coat of arms (preserved panel) of a branch of the Kniveton family in a window in the south wall of the chancel of St Michael's church, Kniveton.
"Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Kniveton were recorded, including Knifton, Kniveton, Knyveton, Nifton, Knyvet, Knyveton and many more."
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"Kniveton, of Mercaston, 1611.—This ancient family, was originally of Kniveton, whence they took their name. Sir Matthew Kniveton was settled at Bradley in the reign of Edward I., and there the eider branch continued till the early part of Charles I.'s reign, when it became extinct, after a continuance of about fifteen generations. Matthew, a younger son of Sir Matthew Kniveton above-mentioned, settled at Mercaston. Thomas, the eighth in descent from Matthew, married a coheiress of Leche of Chatsworth. His son William, who was created a Baronet in 1611, married the heiress of Rollesley of Rollesley-hall. Sir Gilbert, the second baronet, who married the heiress of Gray, of Tanney in Hertfordshire, removed to Bradley after the extinction of the elder branch. Sir Andrew, the third baronet, a zealous Royalist, having been much impoverished by the civil war, sold Bradley and the greater part, if not the whole, of the family estates. Sir Andrew had a younger brother, Thomas, and three sisters married to Sir Aston Cokaine, Pegge of Yeldersley, and Henry Neville. We have not been able to find when the title became extinct; but Collins, in his Baronet age of 1720, says that Sir Thomas Kniveton, one of the Gentlemen Prisoners in the reign of Charles II. was supposed to have been the last Baronet. This Sir Thomas continued to belong to the band of Gentlemen Pensioners, in the early part of King William's reign, and was living in 1690. He was the younger brother of Sir Andrew Kniveton before mentioned.
Arms: — The bearings of this family have been various. The earliest coats were, a chevron between three knives, borne by Sir Henry Kniveton, temp. Edw. I., and Gules, a bend vaire, Arg. and Sable. Sir Henry Kniveton, temp. Edw. III. bore a bend, vaire. between six crosses formee. A later coat, and that borne by the baronets of the family, was Gules, a chevron, vaire, Argent and Sable.
Crest, a demi-eagle issuing from a wreath, Or, the wings expanded, Sable."
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